


butterfly effect

by kangseulgis



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Angst, Blood and Gore, Gay, Hurt/Comfort (probably), Kaminari Denki is a Little Shit, Multi, Swearing, Until Dawn AU, Violence, Wendigos, everyone is sad, mentions of cannibalism, no quirks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-12 20:17:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19236349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kangseulgis/pseuds/kangseulgis
Summary: “kaminari invited us back, and he lost three of his best friends. i’m sure everything will be fine.”





	1. the right thing

Jirou sighed as she exited the bus, removing her earphones from her ears.

 

There was something wrong with the way that her feet carried her, and she knew this but remained silent throughout the hike. There was something wrong with the sign that welcomed her into the mountains, and she knew this but merely glanced the opposite direction. There was also something wrong with the gate, as there was a note attached that read, ‘ _I’m_ _so_ _sorry_! _The_ _gate’s_ _broken_! _You’ll_ _have_ _to_ _climb_ _over_. — _Momo_ ’

 

Jirou, exasperated, tossed the note to the ground and mashed it into the snow. She internally hoped that she was the last to arrive and planted her feet onto the stone wall that surrounded the gate. Hoisting herself upward, she reached the top of the stone wall rather easily, hopping to the ground with respectively less gracefulness than the climb.

 

Dusting patches of snow off her clothes, Jirou continued toward the cable car station. She ignored the snowflakes that drifted through the air and the wind that nearly knocked her earphones from her hands, and she especially ignored the peculiar signs that littered the area. She glanced toward one of the signs but immediately shook her head, not finding the information worth her time.

 

Instead, she turned her attention toward the cable car station; specifically, Yaoyorozu’s abandoned backpack. She raised her eyebrows and advanced, peeking around the corners of the station but finding no sign of her companion. Before she could shout Yaoyorozu’s name, she heard a buzzing from the backpack, and the light from a cellphone shone through the backpack’s fabric. Jirou smirked before unzipping the backpack, tapping on the phone’s screen before reading the message.

 

A tap on the shoulder was enough to send Jirou into a startled panic, and she dropped the phone onto the ground as another text message crowded the notifications. Yaoyorozu folded her arms over her chest after plucking the phone from the ground before it could sink into the snow.

 

“It’s not good to look at people’s text messages!” scolded Yaoyorozu, uncrossing her arms before reading the message herself.

 

“I was only playing around,” Jirou countered with a smile upon whirling around, her demeanor now calm. “I didn’t actually read it, but I did see who it’s from. Kendo, eh?”

 

“Yes, it’s from Kendo. That’s not important, though.” Yaoyorozu stuffed her cellphone into her back pocket with a small scowl. “I found something cool. Come look!”

 

With no apparent hesitation, Yaoyorozu burst into the cable car station, beckoning toward the piles of books that were set on the shelves. Jirou gaped and took two of the books into her arms, finding that one was a poetry book, the other fantasy. “Are these Kaminari’s?” inquired Jirou, examining the remaining books.

 

“I think he’s the only one who has been here lately,” Yaoyorozu answered. “Well, unless they’re yours. You’ve been here lately, right?”

 

“Yeah, but they’re not mine.” Jirou placed another poetry book back onto the shelf. “He’s really into poetry, I guess. I’ve never seen these here before.”

 

Yaoyorozu giggled slightly as she gazed at the cover of a certain novel, drawing Jirou’s attention. “I love this book!” she explained, holding the book in front of Jirou. “It’s about a boy who wants revenge on his friends.” She tapped on the book excitedly. “I shouldn’t spoil it, just in case you want to read it.”

 

“Kaminari mentioned this one to me.” Jirou accepted the book and stuffed it into her coat. “He never mentioned this collection, though. Weird.”

 

“I’m sure he has his own reasons for not mentioning it,” Yaoyorozu consoled, patting Jirou’s shoulder encouragingly.

 

Despite the secret library crowding the area, the television in the corner caught Jirou’s attention more easily. She pressed the power button and watched as the television crackled to life, but when she pressed the arrows to change the channel, the screen did not budge. She pointed to the television and mumbled, “Yaomomo, is this broken?”

 

Yaoyorozu cocked her head to the side and attempted to change the channel, and she eventually resorted to shaking the television rather calmly. “It must be.” She bent down to further inspect the gray screen. “Hey, is this the cabin?”

 

Jirou found that the screen displayed a staticky video of each room in the cabin, and she shrugged, running a nervous hand through her hair. “He probably just wants to make sure that nothing happens again.”

 

Yaoyorozu frowned. “If only he had been watching this at the time.”

 

“Yeah.” Jirou uneasily fiddled with her hands, opting to switch off the television to continue searching the station. She did not find much more than what had already been discovered, but she dusted off a wanted poster that showed a photo of a recognizable criminal. “Not to change the subject, but look at this.”

 

Yaoyorozu snapped back into reality and gazed at the poster that Jirou was nodding toward. “Himiko Toga,” she hummed, placing a finger to her chin thoughtfully. “She allegedly killed two people, if I remember correctly. I wonder why Kaminari has this poster in here?”

 

“I’m sure he has his reasons,” Jirou stated, earning a look from Yaoyorozu. “What? It’s as you said!”

 

“You’re correct.” Yaoyorozu turned away from the poster and peeked out the window, and she beamed upon noticing the cable car. “Here comes the cable car.”

 

“That didn’t take long,” Jirou commented and clambered into the cable car, waiting for Yaoyorozu to grab her backpack. She immediately scooted over, allowing her companion to plop down next to her.

“I activated the car before you came,” Yaoyorozu explained, sifting through her bag to make certain that all her belongings were in order. She abruptly paused, and she brought her hands to rest on her lap before asking, “Do you think this is the right thing?”

 

Jirou blinked. “Do I think what is the right thing?”

 

“Coming back here on the anniversary of their disappearance,” Yaoyorozu finished.

 

Jirou pondered and, after a minute, responded, “I think it’s the right thing. Kaminari hasn’t been this excited in awhile.” When Yaoyorozu did not reply, she continued, “Do you know how Kaminari and I met?”

 

Yaoyorozu politely shook her head.

 

“In sixth grade, Kaminari and I were in the same class. At first, we didn’t sit by each other, but he accidentally tipped his chair over the second week of school. The teacher moved him to the front of the class, which is where I sat.” Jirou grinned. “Kind of like a butterfly effect, huh?”

 

“I’m surprised you’ve never told me that story,” Yaoyorozu chuckled, closing her eyes. “Funny.”

 

Jirou smiled thoughtfully. “Yeah. Funny.”

 

The cable car screeched to a halt, and Yaoyorozu started at the noise, grasping her bag tightly before slinging it over her shoulder. She stood and joined Jirou at the door, and when the door did not budge, Jirou began to pound on the surface. “I don’t think that’ll help,” Yaoyorozu murmured, but Jirou ignored the statement.

 

Jirou caught a glimpse of a familiar someone sitting on the bench outside the cable car, and she forcefully pounded on the door. “Midoriya!”

 

Midoriya instantly turned his head toward the noise, and he scrambled toward the cable car, flinging open the door with a confused expression.

 

Yaoyorozu exited the cable car with an apologetic grin. “The door got stuck. I hope it doesn’t do that to anyone else.”

 

“The door was fine for me,” Midoriya commented as Jirou closed the door behind her. “I guess it’s a bit rusty. I was beginning to think you two weren’t coming!”

 

“Of course we’d come. The trip just took awhile.” Jirou pursed her lips and nodded toward the letter in Midoriya’s grasp. “Ah, who’s that from?”

 

“It’s from Shouto,” Midoriya meekly gushed.

 

Interested, Jirou smirked and questioned, “What’s it say?”

 

“We shouldn’t pry,” Yaoyorozu interrupted, placing a firm hand on Jirou’s shoulder, causing her to huff in annoyance. “We should, however, head to the lodge. Are you coming, Midoriya?”

 

“I’m going to wait here, just in case more people arrive with a broken cable car.” Midoriya sat down on the bench and waved goodbye to Yaoyorozu and Jirou as they nodded in acceptance, now trudging in the direction of the lodge.

 

Uraraka and Asui padded across a bridge, occasionally staring into the water below. Uraraka plucked a rock off the ground and tossed it into the water, watching as it bounced three times before sinking, which caused her to pout in disappointment. Asui glanced at her reflection before hurrying to catch up with Uraraka, who was already nearing the end of the bridge.

 

Asui prepared to comment on the long walk, but someone dashed in front of them with open arms and a smile, giggling relentlessly. Uraraka jumped backward, startled, and her hand immediately flew to cover her terrified yell. Asui, however, caught Uraraka in her arms and calmly said, “Mina, did you intend on scaring us?”

 

“I think it worked!” Ashido shrieked happily, pointing toward Uraraka while uncontrollably laughing.

 

Uraraka cried, “That’s not a very nice welcome!” before airily laughing. “How long have you been there?”

 

“A few minutes.” Ashido carelessly placed her hands on her hips. “I was waiting for someone to scare. I’m glad you two showed up so soon, or I would’ve given up.”

 

“You would’ve given up in only a few minutes?” Asui asked.

 

“Absolutely.” Ashido nodded toward the lodge with a mischievous grin. “Let’s head to the lodge. Could be more people to scare.”

 

Asui rubbed her hands together and shivered, beginning to drag her suitcase behind her. “I agree. It’s much colder now.”

 

“I forgot you don’t have a good tolerance to the cold, Tsu!” Uraraka gasped and jumped forward. “Do you need help with your luggage?”

 

“No, it’s alright,” Asui assured, smiling endearingly. “We should hurry to the lodge.”

 

Uraraka and Ashido nodded in agreement, following behind Asui. Ashido rushed ahead of them and nearly tripped over the piles of snow, but Asui kept her from tripping by swiftly grabbing her hand. Uraraka kicked some snow off the path as she walked, holding out her tongue, catching snowflakes as they drifted toward her.

 

“Do you two think it’s really appropriate to come back on the anniversary of their disappearance?” Uraraka suddenly quizzed, coming to a stop in front of the porch. The snowflakes felt like burning coals against her tongue now, and she clamped her mouth shut with regret.

 

Asui uneasily looked at the ground. “No, but Kaminari seems excited to have everyone back. We can’t really say no, can we?”

 

Ashido energetically jumped down from the porch and placed a hand on Asui’s head. “He’s really excited!” She twirled around and took Uraraka’s hands into hers. “There’s no way this isn’t appropriate!”

 

“I suppose you’re right,” Asui muttered and continued toward the front door, and Uraraka followed, worriedly biting the bottom of her lip.

 

Ashido trailed behind the two and ripped open the door, allowing them inside before examining the area for a last time. She noticed that Kendo was staring through a telescope on the other side of the porch, seemingly unaware of anyone else’s presence. She occasionally took her eyes away from the telescope’s surface and stared over the side of the porch, but she never noticed Ashido’s gaze.

 

“Mina, close the door!” Uraraka shouted, setting her luggage on the couch. “The snow’s getting inside!”

 

“I’ll be back.” Ashido turned toward Uraraka and Asui, sneering. “I’m gonna scare Kendo. I’ll be back, swear it!” She whirled around and shut the door cautiously, creeping toward Kendo and the telescope.

 

Kendo placed her eye against the telescope, gazing about the area below. She became bored with the snowy, withered trees and bushes that held no more berries, instead turning the telescope toward the empty bridge. She frowned upon noticing that a mistakenly abandoned bag was leaning against the railing, and she recognized the bag instantly due to its pink, glittery radiance. She prepared to walk away from the telescope and find the bag’s owner, but a pink-haired someone appeared in the telescope’s vision.

 

“Kendo!” Ashido hollered, dramatically placing her hands on Kendo’s shoulders, grinning at her startled expression. She pointed at the telescope with her foot. “Find anything interesting?”

 

Kendo initially attempted to push Ashido off, but upon realizing that the someone was not a bear or anything similar, she loosened and scowled. “Other than a scare? No.”

 

“Sorry, sorry!” Ashido apologized, relaxing her grip. “You don’t actually seem that frightened!”

 

“I’m not.” Kendo nervously glanced over the side of the porch’s railing, pointing in the direction of the bridge. “I did see a bag on the bridge, though. I think it’s yours. It’s pink.”

 

Ashido gaped and widened her eyes, crossing her arms angrily before stamping her foot on the ground. “I knew I forgot something!” she sighed. “Are you sure it’s mine?”

 

“It’s also sparkly.”

 

Ashido stomped her foot on the ground again, defeated.

 

“Sorry I had to be the one to tell you,” Kendo added.

 

“It’s fine. I’ll get it later. I don’t think anyone will take it, anyway.” Ashido carelessly shrugged, her irritated demeanor now gone. She jutted her thumb toward the lodge’s entrance. “I’m gonna head inside. You coming?”

 

“I’m gonna wait for Momo and Jirou, actually. They should be arriving soon, if they haven’t already.” She offered a kind smile as Ashido waved goodbye, disappearing into the lodge.

 

Kendo abandoned the telescope and rushed off the porch, strolling toward the cable car station’s exit, just in case they had arrived moments ago. When she had arrived, Midoriya had been waiting on the bench, most likely for Todoroki, but she was unsure if he was still there. She was halfway to her destination when a snowball smacked against her back, slipping off her coat’s surface. She spun around, and a snowball slammed into her face, knocking her backward.

 

“I’m sorry!” Yaoyorozu yelped, stifling her laughter. “I didn’t mean to hit your face!”

 

“I do,” Jirou blurted and balled another snowball in her hands.

 

Kendo smirked and reached down, forming a snowball in her hands as Jirou’s snowball soared toward her. She ducked down and tossed a snowball in Jirou’s direction, but the latter dodged, and Kendo rushed toward a nearby bench for cover during the distraction. Behind the bench, she created another snowball and peeked at the two girls through the bench’s holes.

 

Yaoyorozu confidently dodged one of Jirou’s snowballs, hurrying to hide behind the tree that was adjacent to her. A snowball bounced off the tree, and Jirou made a disappointed noise in her throat. She prepared to make another snowball, but Yaoyorozu popped out from behind the tree and threw a snowball at Jirou’s shoulder, and the snowball hit its target perfectly.

 

Kendo reached her hand over the top of the bench and threw a snowball toward the closest person to her, which was Jirou, but the snowball missed by an inch. Jirou whirled to face the bench, but a snowball from Yaoyorozu flew toward her, causing her to jump out of the way and plummet into the snow.

 

“Must I be the prime target?” Jirou shrieked, intercepting a snowball with her hands.

 

“You’re exposed!” Kendo yelled and revealed herself, aiming a snowball at Yaoyorozu. The snowball missed, for Yaoyorozu dodged without trouble. “That’s dangerous in a snowball fight!”

 

Yaoyorozu calculated her options, and when she was prepared, she formed two snowballs and threw one at Kendo, catching her completely off guard. While Kendo was distracted, she threw her remaining snowball at her again, and it smashed into her face, causing her to stumble backward into the snow.

 

“I think I win,” Yaoyorozu mused, glancing toward Jirou and Kendo, who were both brushing snow off themselves.

 

“I think you do,” Jirou commented, overhearing Yaoyorozu’s aloud thoughts.

Kendo placed her hands behind her head and leaned against the bench. “I have a question, actually. Have either of you seen Midoriya or Todoroki?”

 

“Midoriya, yes,” Yaoyorozu answered, “but no Todoroki. Has he not arrived?”

 

“Midoriya must’ve been waiting for him.” Jirou folded her arms over her chest and pulled her coat closer to her body. “Can we get inside?”

 

Yaoyorozu and Kendo followed Jirou toward the lodge without another word, and silence filled the air for the distance that they walked. Kendo hesitantly glanced at Yaoyorozu’s hand, but Yaoyorozu reached up to open the lodge’s back door before Kendo could attempt a nervous handholding. She followed Jirou and Yaoyorozu inside, closing the door gently, meeting the others in the huge living room.

 

Midoriya’s face sparkled upon throwing open the cable car’s door for Todoroki, and he grabbed Todoroki’s hand without warning, pulling him in the direction of the lodge. He stumbled slightly as he left the cable car station, but Todoroki steadied him with his free hand.

 

“Sorry I took so long.” Todoroki did not protest as Midoriya dragged him toward the lodge. “The cable car jammed.”

 

Midoriya halted, frowning down at the snow. “That’s weird. It didn’t jam for me, but the door broke for Yaoyorozu and Jirou.”

 

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Todoroki reassured, patting Midoriya’s hand with his free one.

 

Midoriya grimaced, but not at the sudden touch of Todoroki’s hand. Something felt wrong, and he hated the thought of clambering into the cable car and returning to his safe, warm home, but nothing kept him from pondering the option. “There’s something else.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Todoroki immediately asked, disturbed at the saddened look on Midoriya’s face.

 

“It feels weird to be back, especially on the anniversary.” Midoriya pointed at the snowy ground. “They could’ve disappeared right here, and we wouldn’t know. Their bodies weren’t recovered. Is this the right thing?”

 

“I think it’s better that most of us are together on the anniversary,” Todoroki explained. “Kaminari invited us back, and he lost three of his best friends. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

 

Midoriya used his sleeve to wipe at the tears forming on his face and nodded reluctantly, glancing in the direction of the lodge with a determined expression. Todoroki worriedly grabbed Midoriya’s other hand, but the latter weakly grinned before saying, “You’re right. I’m fine. I’m just anxious, that’s all.”

 

Todoroki remained in the same spot for a few seconds, confirming that Midoriya was truly alright. When Midoriya was not on the verge of tears anymore, Todoroki began to hike toward the lodge again, and his companion followed.

 

Midoriya was not convinced that this was the right thing.


	2. pranks

Kaminari emerged into the living room to find Ashido frantically yanking at the door to the kitchen.

 

Despite Yaoyorozu’s words of advice on how to open the door, Ashido continued to irritably tug at the doorknob, nearly ripping it off. Asui suggested that they find a different way into the kitchen, but Ashido, determined, did not falter. While the situation occurred, Jirou overheard footsteps, and she whirled around to find Kaminari at the bottom of the stairs, staring.

 

“Kaminari!” boomed Jirou, causing Ashido to loosen her grip on the doorknob and turn around. “You’ve finally decided to show up.”

 

“Your lodge is broken,” Ashido whined, pouting.

 

“It’s not broken,” Yaoyorozu explained, ushering Ashido away from the door. “I think it may be locked.”

 

Uraraka threw her fists into the air. “Let’s break it down!”

 

“We could burn a hole through it,” Kaminari solemnly suggested, an invisible lightbulb appearing above his head.

 

“No!” Yaoyorozu objected, folding her arms over her chest. “Kaminari, this is your parents’ lodge. I’m also sure there’s a key somewhere.”

 

Kaminari appeared disappointed at the realization that his parents would not be ecstatic over a hole burned into a door. “There’s a key. Burning a hole just seemed more fun.”

 

Kendo nodded and closed her eyes in agreement. “It would kind of be more fun.”

 

Jirou rolled her eyes at the violent suggestions of how to break into the kitchen but eventually offered, “I’ll come with you to find the key.”

 

“An adventure!” Kaminari cheered, holding out his hand to Jirou without hesitation. “Let’s find the key!”

 

Jirou eyed his hand, suddenly taken aback by his cheeriness. The entire situation did not appear normal. She momentarily pondered the earlier ‘is this the right thing?’ question, mentally questioning her response; no, it was indeed not the right thing, but it was an okay thing. It was an okay thing to be back at the lodge, even if it was the anniversary of their disappearance. She placed her hand into Kaminari’s grasp and was quickly whisked toward the stairs.

 

“Hey, Kaminari,” Jirou finally murmured, pausing once they were atop the stairs and out of the group’s reach. “Are you alright?”

 

Kaminari grinned, and Jirou could not understand how he could react so joyfully to the question. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

 

“You don’t have to act around me, you know,” Jirou huffed, tugging on his hand. “You invited us back on the anniversary of the disappearance. What’s the real reason why?”

 

“I just want us all together.” Kaminari innocently stared at her. “I’ve accepted the situation.”

 

Jirou scowled, and Kaminari released his grip on her hand, fearful of her next words. “How can you have accepted it? I haven’t. The others haven’t. Mina hasn’t accepted it, and she was just as close to them as you were.”

 

“I’ve accepted that they’re not coming back,” Kaminari explained, and his merry demeanor returned. “We were on a mission, Jirou! We have to find the key.”

 

Jirou remained silent for a moment before offering her hand to Kaminari, stunning him. She nodded encouragingly at her hand, and the blonde eventually set his hand atop hers, guiding her around the lodge’s second floor. There were withered plants in the corners, and a lone cactus was displayed on a table that held an empty picture frame. There were tattered curtains that swayed in front of windows, and Kaminari reached out to close a window that had been opened earlier to ‘provide fresh air.’ Most doors were closed, including the one to the bathroom, but one door was mysteriously opened, if only just a crack.

 

Jirou drifted away from Kaminari and pushed open the door, finding that Bakugou’s belongings littered the room, and a fractured photo of Kirishima was beside the bed. This definitely was not the right thing, but she did not leave the room despite the odd feeling.

 

Kaminari peeked into the room. “Jirou, what are you—”

 

“I didn’t know Bakugou had his own room.” Jirou stepped further into the room, bending over to pick up the broken photo of Kirishima. “I have a question, actually.”

 

“Shoot,” Kaminari answered, wringing his hands.

 

“Do you know what this is about?” Jirou placed the shattered photo in Kaminari’s grip.

 

Kaminari frowned and set the photo on the bed, nervously turning to face Jirou. “I don’t, really. I saw the broken photo weeks ago. Bakugou and Kirishima didn’t have any problems before the thing happened, so I don’t know why this is here.”

 

Jirou nodded and placed her hands on her hips, sighing at the ground. “I don’t know lots of things.”

 

“We still have a mission!” Kaminari gasped, jokingly grabbing ahold of Jirou’s shoulders. “We keep forgetting.”

 

Jirou brushed off Kaminari’s grasp but took his hand again, almost as if it was a usual procedure. “I haven’t forgotten, dummy.”

 

Kaminari guided Jirou toward the bathroom and shoved the door open, plucking a set of keys off the wall. He fiddled with the multiple keys before settling on the brown one, waggling it in front of Jirou’s face. “It should be this one,” he muttered and ran his finger over the bulky lettering that read ‘kitchen.’

 

“Why are your keys in the bathroom?” Jirou inquired.

 

Kaminari paused. “Why aren’t yours?”

 

Jirou shook her head in exasperation and did not respond, following Kaminari to the kitchen door after plodding down the stairs. He shoved the key into the lock and twisted it, popping the door open with bouncy movements, gesturing toward the inside of the room. Ashido squealed and rushed into the room, throwing the refrigerator open.

 

“You really did fill it with everything ever!” exclaimed Ashido, shuffling through the various beverages and foods.

 

Yaoyorozu sat at the dining table and clasped her hands together. “We should thank our host.”

 

“Thanks!” hummed Ashido as she scooted into a seat, placing an unknown beverage in front of her.

 

Kaminari entered the room and stared at the group as they chatted with each other across the table. He looked at his feet with slumped shoulders, suddenly aware of something. “I have a question.”

 

“Me as well,” Asui interrupted. “Where are Midoriya and Todoroki?”

 

“Midoriya seemed uneasy, so I told him to check out the guest cabin with Todoroki. You know, just in case the lodge would bring back memories.” Kaminari scratched the back of his neck. “I actually have a question about these memories.”

 

The group stared at him eagerly.

 

“What actually happened? You guys never told me. You just said it was a dumb prank.”

 

Before anyone could speak, Ashido’s arm shot into the air, and she volunteered. “I’ll tell him.”

 

“We all knew Bakugou had a crush on Kirishima, and let’s face it, they were practically together already. We all just wanted to make it official. All of us, including Sero, planned this elaborate scheme to get them together.”

 

“I wasn’t directly involved,” Jirou confirmed, and Ashido glared, annoyed with the interruption.

 

“We made this hidden contraption that would dump water on the person who entered the kitchen. We wrote a letter to Kirishima that said to come to the living room, and he did, thinking that Bakugou wrote it. We wrote a letter to Bakugou that said to come to the kitchen, and he did, thinking that Kirishima wrote it. The water dumped all over Bakugou. We expected Kirishima to run over and help him dry off, but Bakugou was so angry that he just ran out of the lodge. I think he was thinking of ways to better help his anger. Kirishima went after him, and Sero followed. I don’t know why. I think he felt bad.”

 

“You left out the part about filming it,” Uraraka commented. “I filmed it. I thought it would be a nice memory of them becoming boyfriends.”

 

“There was something else,” Kendo piped. “You told the story wrong. Bakugou got angry because the bucket slammed into his head. That’s probably why Sero followed — to see if he needed help.”

 

Ashido shook her head. “The bucket never fell. Not that I remember.”

 

“You remember wrong,” Kendo countered.

 

“Let’s not fight about it,” Asui clucked.

 

“Yes,” Yaoyorozu agreed, sipping her hot drink. “Small details on how it occurred don’t matter. All Kaminari wants to know is what the prank was.”

 

The group settled, and Kaminari finally sat in the empty seat beside Jirou, calmly staring at his shaky hands. Jirou glanced at him but said nothing, instead beginning an awkward conversation with Ashido about the cold weather.

 

“The cold weather!” Ashido cried, jumping out of her seat, nearly knocking over three drinks. “I left one of my bags on the bridge. It’s probably covered in snow.”

 

“I can come with you,” Asui offered, pushing her warm drink aside. “Ochako, would you like to come?”

 

Uraraka hopped out of her seat, bouncing on her toes. “Of course! Three is better than two in the case of an emergency.”

 

“It’s settled! We’ll be back soon!” Ashido assured and grasped Uraraka and Asui’s hands, rushing toward the lodge’s entrance.

 

“Be careful!” Yaoyorozu called, but the trio disappeared before her words could be heard, and the door was slammed shut by a gust of wind.

 

Kendo tapped her fingers against the table’s surface. “Just us, then?”

 

“Actually, I’m going to take a bath,” Jirou murmured, standing. “If you all don’t mind, that is.”

 

“We don’t mind.” Yaoyorozu offered a kind smile, and Jirou merely nodded and exited the kitchen.

 

Midoriya and Todoroki trudged down the trail that lead to the guest cabin. Todoroki held Midoriya’s hand as they walked, and though the gesture calmed Midoriya slightly, he still had an uneasy feeling about the situation. Every step seemed to throttle his body.

 

“It was nice of Kaminari to lend us the guest cabin,” Todoroki hummed, shattering the comfortable silence.

 

“You’re right.” Midoriya eyed the key in his hand that was labeled ‘guest cabin.’

 

The silence that followed was undoubtedly uncomfortable. Todoroki opened his mouth to speak multiple times, but he never found the correct words, instead tightening his grip on Midoriya’s hand. That was enough, and the silence became bearable again.

 

Todoroki pointed toward a shed in the distance with his free hand. “Do you think that’s where the generator is?”

 

Midoriya pointed toward a locked, metal gate in the distance with his free hand. “That’s the gate, so I think so.”

 

“I’ll turn on the generator, and you can open the gate.” Todoroki separated their hands and turned toward the shed as Midoriya strolled over to the gate, snow crunching beneath his boots.

 

Todoroki entered the shed and reached the generator, pressing the button and yanking the lever. The generator did not immediately turn on, so he pulled the lever again, and the generator finally crackled to life. He heard the sound of the gate creaking open, and he exited the shed to find Midoriya grinning at him, waving his hands as if to say ‘come on!’ Todoroki offered a halfhearted smile and hastened toward Midoriya, grabbing his hand again.

 

They were only a few feet down the path when they both caught sight of yellow police tape that wrapped around several trees, isolating a specific area. There were fresh footprints in the snow, but miraculously, they did not question them.

 

Midoriya closed his eyes and glanced away from the sight, instead looking into Todoroki’s eyes. “Please tell me this isn’t where they disappeared,” Midoriya begged.

 

“Okay,” Todoroki obliged. “This isn’t where they disappeared.”

 

“I think it is.” Midoriya released his grip on Todoroki’s hand and crept toward the area, peering over the police tape.

 

“I thought you told me not to tell you that?”

 

Midoriya ignored the footsteps and stepped over the police tape, kicking up the snow in an attempt to find any object that the police had somehow overlooked, but he found nothing. He felt Todoroki’s eyes boring into him, and he suddenly felt dumb for his actions, but he continued forward.

 

A screech from a crow startled the two, and while Todoroki merely widened his eyes, Midoriya yelped and recoiled. The snow collapsed underneath him, and he felt himself crashing to the ground after falling into a mysterious opening. He smashed into the ground with a thump, and he groaned and hoisted himself into a sitting position, rubbing his forehead. Seconds later, Todoroki appeared after landing perfectly, and he extended a hand.

 

“Are you alright?” Todoroki quizzed as Midoriya accepted his hand. “We’re in a mine.”

 

Midoriya stared at Todoroki in confusion. “How did you land perfectly?”

 

“It’s not that big of a jump.” Todoroki nodded toward the opening that they had used to enter the mine. “You just fell. I jumped.”

 

Midoriya giggled and placed a hand behind his head. “I’m just clumsy. How do we get out?”

 

Todoroki squinted and glanced about the mine, pointing toward the only opening that was visible in the darkness. Midoriya nodded silently and followed Todoroki through the opening, and they continued to explore the mine, searching for the closest exit possible. They continuously stepped over rocks and logs that had found their way into the mine, which was rather annoying, but there was no other path. Eventually, they came to a small pair of stairs that lead to an opening with light from the moon flowing through it.

 

Midoriya examined the area for a last time, finding a peculiar map plastered to a splintered table. The map displayed the dangerous zones of the mine, which were highlighted in a bright red. There were six zones that were highlighted, and one was labeled ‘high risk,’ while the others were simply labeled ‘danger.’ The area that he had fallen down was labeled ‘secret passageway.’

 

“The police tape must’ve been there because of this dangerous passageway,” Todoroki commented after joining Midoriya at the table. “It’s a way of keeping people out.”

 

Midoriya blushed in embarrassment. “I was curious.” He glanced at the map for a moment before turning away. “Let’s get out of here. It seems dangerous to stay longer.”

 

Todoroki nodded in agreement and exited the mine, Midoriya trailing behind him. Todoroki was far ahead of his companion after a few minutes of walking, and he became worried that Midoriya had injured his leg, but he suddenly realized that it was probably because he was searching for clues about the disappearance. He said nothing on the subject and continued forward until coming to a stop in front of a telescope.

 

“Kaminari’s family has an interest in telescopes,” Midoriya muttered as he caught up with Todoroki, tapping on the top of the telescope. “Find anything interesting?”

 

Todoroki eyed the cabin through the telescope. “Just the cabin. We’re not far,” he murmured, pulling away from the telescope before he could notice a flicker of movement near the cabin.

 

Midoriya clasped his hands together in excitement. “Let’s go, then! It’s cold out here!”

 

Jirou tramped down the stairs with tired eyes that contributed to her current annoyance. She stared at Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, and Kendo before clearing her throat, drawing attention to herself.

 

“What happened to your bath?” Yaoyorozu questioned, interrupting her own conversation.

 

Jirou sighed heavily and complained, “There’s no hot water.”

 

Kaminari nodded and placed his hand on his chin in sarcastic thought. “I’ll help Jirou with the water. You two,” he pointed at Yaoyorozu and Kendo, “can find the spirit board.”

 

Kendo readily nodded and dragged a reluctant Yaoyorozu into the next room, prepared to find and use the spirit board. Kaminari guided Jirou toward the basement and opened the door, allowing her to go first before joining her.

 

“Spirit board, huh?” Jirou began.

 

Kaminari smirked, which caused Jirou to halfheartedly smile. “I know they like each other. What’s more romantic than a search for a spirit board?”

 

“You’re absolutely correct, for once,” Jirou teased.

 

Instead of laughing along with the joke or retorting that he was always correct, he said softly, “I’m glad everyone came back. After their disappearance, I didn’t know if anyone wanted to be around this place.” He paused and glanced at Jirou. “I’m especially glad that you’re back.”

 

Jirou gave him an odd look. “There’s no reason we wouldn’t come back. Don’t mention it.” She pointed at the boiler that was ahead. “Let’s focus on getting the hot water restored.”

 

Kaminari padded over to a device that Jirou did not recognize and handed her a flashlight, telling her to hover it over the area that he was fiddling with. She obliged and held the flashlight with a steady hand, and he finished his work within a few seconds, telling her to follow him.

 

“Do you know how to increase the water pressure?” he questioned, pointing toward a control panel.

 

Jirou bit her bottom lip. “I think so?”

 

Kaminari encouraged her with a simple nod, and she twisted a knob on the control panel, waiting for a red light to shine. When the red light appeared, she slapped her hand on a button, backing away from the panel with cautious movements. Sounds began to whiz around the basement, and she grinned, feeling accomplished.

 

“Finally!” Jirou exclaimed. “All this effort just for a—”

 

A clatter sounded throughout the basement, which was followed by repetitive tapping. The two remained silent for a few seconds, but the tapping, instead of ceasing, became increasingly louder.

 

“I’ll go check it out,” Jirou muttered and started toward the noises, but Kaminari seized her arm, stopping her.

 

“I’m coming with you!”

 

Jirou rolled her eyes but continued onward after shaking off Kaminari’s worried grasp. She used the flashlight to navigate her path, and she came to a stop in front of a chair that had been tipped over. The chair was dusty but seemingly pristine nonetheless, and it had been leaning against the wall just minutes before.

 

“Weird,” Kaminari commented, placing the chair upright again.

 

Jirou continued to shine the flashlight throughout the basement before the light became fixed on an unknown someone tapping on exposed water pipes. When they realized that they had been discovered, they raced toward Jirou and Kaminari, giggling maniacally. Instinctively, Jirou picked the chair up and hurled it at the mysterious figure, not remaining in the area to hear the yelp of pain. She grabbed Kaminari’s arm and frantically dragged him toward the stairs, finding that the door was now jammed.

 

Jirou’s face began to grow pale as she yanked at the doorknob with jerky movements. Her mind raced and attempted to form multiple solutions, but none of them appeared plausible. Kaminari forcefully pushed on the door, and she noticed that he was already pale, visibly sweating.

 

“Geez,” a familiar voice whined behind them. “I wasn’t going to chase you. Why’d you hit me with a chair?”

 

Jirou whirled around, breathing heavily and loudly. “Kendo? What the fuck?”

 

“I just wanted to have fun,” Kendo laughed, ripping off the robe that she had used as a disguise. She revealed the spirit board in her possession and grinned. “I also found the spirit board.”

 

Kaminari began to heartily laugh.

 

“It’s not funny!” Jirou protested, punching Kaminari’s shoulder. She then pouted. “You were probably in on it.”

 

“I can appreciate a good joke,” Kaminari retorted, giving Kendo a high five as she crept up the stairs.

 

The door abruptly swung open to reveal Yaoyorozu, who had been searching for Kendo just moments before. Kendo shrugged and rubbed her head as she followed Jirou and Kaminari upstairs.

 

“Got the spirit board,” Kendo hummed as she crossed into the living room.

 

Yaoyorozu shook her head. “You randomly disappeared. You had me scared for a moment.” She glanced at Jirou, who was still visibly pale. “What happened?”

 

Jirou punched her thumb over her shoulder, indicating that she was planning to return to her bath. “Don’t even think about scaring me during my bath, Kendo.”

 

Kendo handed Kaminari the spirit board, draping the borrowed robe over the couch. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Jirou!” she called, winking as Jirou climbed the stairs.

 

Jirou irritably entered the bathroom and slammed the door.


	3. terrible panic

Ashido skipped through the snow as Uraraka and Asui followed, chatting amongst themselves. Asui frequently cuddled into her coat, and Uraraka glanced at her sympathetically, patting her shoulder. They paused upon reaching the bridge, but the bag was nowhere in sight, not even floating in the partially frozen water.

 

“Are you sure you left it here?” Asui chimed, tentatively glancing around the area.

 

Ashido frowned and nodded, placing her hands on her hips. “Kendo said she saw it here when looking through the telescope.”

 

Uraraka pondered for a moment, considering where the bag could have gone. “What about the cable car station? It’s worth a look.”

 

Ashido agreed with a grin and bounced off the bridge, humming as she continued toward the cable car station. Asui and Uraraka hurried to match Ashido’s pace, but they eventually faltered, instead remaining at their preferred pace. As they walked, a light flickered to life, and Uraraka started, glancing in the direction of the strange sight.

 

“That’s abnormal,” Asui commented.

 

Ashido twirled around, nearly knocking herself to the ground with the swift movement. “Maybe someone turned it on?”

 

“Doubt it,” Asui answered. “I think it’s programmed to turn on.” She gazed about the area, finding no sign of the source of the light. “I don’t know where the light is, though.”

 

“Let’s take a break,” Uraraka meekly suggested, a hand on her rapidly beating heart. She pointed toward a picnic table that was covered in piles of snow. “Let’s sit there.”

 

Asui nodded and started toward the picnic table as Ashido grinned and launched herself toward Uraraka, placing her hands on her shoulders. Taken aback, Uraraka squealed and stared at Ashido’s hands, her mind still racing from the light suddenly coming to life.

 

“Are you scared, Ochako?” teased Ashido, patting Uraraka’s head gently. “That’s adorable!”

 

Asui began to clear the snow off the picnic table, shivering when she felt the coldness on her hands. She offered a hand to Uraraka, continuing to wipe the snow off the table with her free hand. “If you’re scared, you can hold my hand.”

 

“I’m not scared,” Uraraka protested, curling into her coat. “The light just startled me.”

 

“Sure,” giggled Ashido, plopping down on the picnic table.

 

Asui stared into the sky, propping her cheek against her hand. “The sky looks nice, even if it’s cold.”

 

Silence followed the statement, and Uraraka joined them at the table, tapping her fingers against the surface. Asui threw her coat’s hood over her head and shoved her hands into her pockets. Ashido, however, smirked mischievously and shoved her foot into the snow, exclaiming, “My foot’s stuck!”

 

Uraraka widened her eyes and jumped to her feet, and Asui followed, nearly tripping over Ashido’s leg. “How did this even happen?” Uraraka murmured and pulled on Ashido’s leg, but the snow seemed to suck her leg in further, much like a vacuum.

 

“Snow is unpredictable,” Asui stated, digging at the snow that surrounded Ashido’s foot.

 

Ashido shifted her leg upward, and snow rocketed through the air in a flurry of whiteness, crashing into Uraraka and Asui, who both jumped backward. She cackled and fell off the bench, plummeting into the snow with a shriek of laughter. Uraraka and Asui stared at her, wiping snow off themselves with expressionless faces.

 

“We should’ve known,” Uraraka muttered, pouting at Asui.

 

“You’re right!” Ashido giggled, offering a hand to Uraraka and Asui. “Let’s get my bag!”

 

Uraraka and Asui exchanged glances but airily laughed, accepting Ashido’s hand, continuing toward the cable car station. Ashido tugged them forward at the quickest pace possible, and her two companions stumbled to maintain the pace, nearly crashing into her when she stopped in her tracks.

 

“Mina?” Asui murmured, tapping on Ashido’s shoulder.

 

Ashido merely pointed at an object in front of her and said, “I don’t want my bag anymore. Let’s go back.”

 

Uraraka and Asui gently pushed Ashido aside and stared at the frightening object, immediately whirling around with a pained squeal. There was a fresh and bloody pig’s head blocking their path, almost as if it was mocking them. There was a note attached to the left ear that read ‘welcome back’ in red, capital letters.

 

Uraraka continued to fearfully back away from the sight. “Yeah, I agree. Let’s leave.”

 

Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, and Kendo set the spirit board on the table, placing the planchette in the middle of it. They positioned their fingers atop the planchette and exchanged glances.

 

“I’m pretty sure we start by just asking if anyone is there,” Kendo explained. “We have to say goodbye in the end. That’s important. Yaomomo, do you wanna conduct the seance?”

 

“I can,” responded Yaoyorozu, fidgeting in her seat. “Um, is anyone there?”

 

Yaoyorozu doubted that the planchette would move, much less on its own. For a moment, nothing happened, which did not shock any of them, but when the planchette struck the letter ‘h,’ panic began to arise. The planchette soon spelled out the word ‘help.’

 

“Who are we helping?” Yaoyorozu calmly questioned.

 

The planchette swung around the spirit board until returning to the middle upon spelling ‘friend.’

 

Kaminari’s face became paler than Jirou’s during Kendo’s prank. “Ask which friend.”

 

Yaoyorozu uneasily glanced at him but ultimately inquired, “Kirishima?”

 

The planchette moved slowly until coming to a stop at the ‘yes,’ swiftly returning to the middle of the board.

 

Kendo stared at the spirit board. “We should stop—”

 

“No!” Kaminari shouted, startling the two girls greatly. “Ask what happened, Yaomomo.”

 

“How did you die? How?” stammered Yaoyorozu.

 

The planchette did not budge.

 

Yaoyorozu hesitated before murmuring, “Who killed you?”

 

The planchette scrambled around the spirit board, eventually spelling out the word ‘library.’

 

“There must be something in the library,” Kendo guessed, removing her fingers from the planchette. “Let’s go there.”

 

“Wait! Ask more questions,” Kaminari desperately demanded.

 

The planchette flew off the table and smacked against the wall, landing beside Yaoyorozu’s foot. The spirit board trembled momentarily but quickly settled. Kaminari jumped to his feet and backed away from the table, pointing fixedly at Yaoyorozu and Kendo.

 

“You two are just messing with me to cure my grief. It’s not funny,” he claimed, narrowing his eyes. “I’m going to my room.”

 

“Kaminari, wait, we’re not—”

 

Yaoyorozu held an arm out in front of Kendo in an attempt to prevent her from rushing after Kaminari, and they both watched as he disappeared around a corner.

 

Another crow screeched, and Midoriya yelped, crashing into Todoroki. They both crashed to the ground after failing to balance themselves, nearly bumping into a pile of logs.

 

“You’re jumpy tonight,” Todoroki commented, brushing snow off himself after standing.

 

Todoroki turned and examined the logs that were displayed behind them. He assumed that they were used as firewood for the cabin, but he did not understand why they were so far away from the cabin. He stared for a few more seconds, finding the letters ‘b + k’ carved into one of the logs near the top of the pile. He frowned and murmured, “Hey, Izuku. Let’s hurry to the cabin.”

 

“Hm? Oh, yeah,” Midoriya responded, emptying snow out of his boots.

 

Another noise sounded throughout the woods, and though it was not a crow, Midoriya started and grabbed Todoroki’s hand.

 

“I’m sure it was nothing.” Todoroki glanced at Midoriya, noticing his panicked expression. “Should I try to throw a rock toward the noise?”

 

Midoriya blinked and nodded softly, slightly calming at the offer. “That could work.”

 

Todoroki released Midoriya’s hand and plucked a rock off the ground, peering around the woods. He flung the rock to the left of the log pile, hearing a clang once it landed. Silence followed, and the two considered ignoring the noise and continuing down the trail that lead to the cabin, but another noise rang throughout the wilderness. An elk immediately dashed across their path, kicking up snow as it ran, disappearing into the darkness.

 

“Gah!” screeched Midoriya, instinctively yanking Todoroki backward.

 

Todoroki halfheartedly smiled and wriggled out of Midoriya’s grasp. “It was just a harmless deer. The cabin should be close by,” he encouraged.

 

Midoriya and Todoroki continued down the path with their fingers interlocked, and no more noises from the animals seemed to startle them. The path twisted and turned, and Midoriya crashed into multiple stray logs but somehow never tripped. A shed near a riverbank appeared in the distance, and Todoroki pointed toward it.

 

Midoriya squinted and noticed the shed at the same time. “That’s not the cabin, right?”

 

“No,” answered Todoroki. “I’m going to look inside. Want to come?”

 

Midoriya hesitantly shook his head. “I’m going to sit by the river.” When Todoroki nodded and started toward the shed, he added, “Be careful!”

 

“You should also be careful,” Todoroki responded and entered the shed, cringing as the door creaked open.

 

Todoroki strolled around the shed, examining the bare walls with little interest. He turned his attention toward the long, dusty table and found an old gas mask that had seemingly belonged to a miner. Disturbed, he placed the gas mask in its original spot at the end of the table.

 

He crossed to the other side of the table and found a picture frame that held a photograph of Kirishima in a tennis outfit. He cocked his head to the side and set the picture frame down, unsure of the reason as to why the photograph was in the shed.

 

After a few minutes of boredom, Midoriya stuck his hands into the river and swung them around in hopes of discovering something interesting. His hand brushed over a solid object, and he grasped it tightly, yanking it out of the freezing water. Instead of a shiny, spectacular object, he pulled an elk’s severed head from the water and gasped, tossing it onto the riverbank in fear.

 

Todoroki froze as he watched the elk’s head come to a stop at the door to the shed. He eyed the elk’s head for a moment before stepping outside and pushing the head into the shed, closing the door cautiously.

 

“Izuku, let’s go,” Todoroki urged, hurrying toward the river. “Let’s cross the river as a shortcut.”

 

“Seems effective,” Midoriya agreed.

 

A window in the shed shattered, and shards of glass pierced the air.

 

Midoriya and Todoroki simultaneously reached for each other’s hand, sprinting across the river. Snowflakes began to drift from the sky again, and though the two were freezing from the water, they did not slow down. They continued to dash toward the cabin until hopping over a gap in the path, which slowed them momentarily.

 

Midoriya paused, his heartbeat rapid. “Let’s climb this cliff!”

 

Todoroki mentally questioned the decision but hoisted himself onto the cliff anyway, following Midoriya’s movements. The cliff was rugged, but they easily jumped off the edge when the cabin was in sight.

 

Midoriya tripped over his own footsteps upon reaching the cabin’s porch, but Todoroki briskly tugged him upward, pushing him into the cabin after unlocking it with nervous hands. Todoroki slammed the door shut and held a hand to his heart, his breathing labored.

 

Neither heard the rustle in the bushes that lined the cabin.

 

“A bear,” Midoriya breathlessly concluded, laying on the floor from Todoroki’s push.

 

“It must’ve been,” huffed Todoroki, confirming that the door was locked before offering a hand to Midoriya. “Sorry for pushing you. I didn’t want us to, you know, die.”

 

Midoriya blinked and stood after being pulled to his feet by Todoroki. “I don’t think we would’ve died.”

 

“We could’ve.” Todoroki glanced around the cabin, his eyes falling on the fireplace. “It’s dark in here. Let’s start a fire.”

 

“How? We’re not going back outside to bring firewood back.”

 

Todoroki shrugged. “There’s probably something around here.”

 

Midoriya and Todoroki trudged off in opposite directions to search for a source that would grant them a fire. Midoriya searched the area and found a pile of newspapers, but he hesitated to take them upon seeing the word ‘disappearance.’ He gritted his teeth before plucking them off the table with trembling hands, reading the articles.

 

There were multiple articles on the disappearance that he had never read before. He avoided most newspapers ever since the incident, and now, he was terrified that he was skimming over the words. The newspaper revealed that the police had never given closure on their disappearances, and the case remained open.

 

If Midoriya found evidence of their deaths inside the cabin, the case would become closed.

 

Midoriya did not wish to find evidence of their deaths inside the cabin.

 

Todoroki peeked his head inside the room, holding two wooden logs. “I found these. Did you find anything?”

 

“Newspapers,” Midoriya croaked.

 

Todoroki immediately crept into the room and gently grasped the newspapers, placing them back onto the table. “We don’t have to burn them. These logs will be enough for a fire.”

 

Midoriya eyed the newspapers for a last time before exiting the room, closing the door behind him. Todoroki shoved the logs into the fireplace and struck a lighter, catching the logs ablaze. The flames licked the air, and warmth began to fill the cabin. Midoriya contentedly grinned and sat in front of the fireplace atop a blanket that Todoroki had placed on the floor.

 

“Finally! Water mixed with snow isn’t a good combination,” Midoriya complained.

 

“You’re right,” Todoroki readily agreed, preparing to plop down next to Midoriya.

 

A deafening growl from the front of the cabin interrupted his movements.

 

Todoroki sighed in exasperation. “I’ll go check it out. It could be one of them playing a prank. Probably Kaminari and Ashido, actually.”

 

Midoriya stood. “I’ll go with you—”

 

“I’m only going to peek out the window,” explained Todoroki, trudging toward the window with sluggish movements.

 

Todoroki shoved the window open, peering into the darkness using the lighter that he had started the fire with. He found and heard nothing on the porch, and when he stuck his hand out the window in an attempt to see further into the night, he still found no sign of danger. He sighed and retracted his arm, leaning against the wall in front of the window.

 

“That’s weird. There’s nothing—”

 

An inhuman, grisly hand reached through the window and grabbed Todoroki by the hair, yanking him out the window with a booming roar.

 

Kendo handed Yaoyorozu a candle and peered into the library with glistening eyes.

 

“I feel bad,” admitted Kendo. “Do you think that was really Kirishima?”

 

Yaoyorozu rubbed her arm with her free hand, slowly creeping into the library. “I don’t know. I don’t know if I want it to be Kirishima.”

 

“I’m not going to believe he’s dead.” Kendo tentatively followed Yaoyorozu into the library.

 

Yaoyorozu gently waved the candle around the library, searching for the evidence that the spirit board had mentioned. She cleared some dust off a shelf and stared at it, finding the word ‘proof’ carved into the wood.

 

“This situation seems unreal,” Yaoyorozu blurted, following Kendo to the other side of the room. “Like a prank.”

 

“I didn’t fake the spirit board.” Kendo stared into Yaoyorozu’s eyes.

 

Yaoyorozu returned the gaze. “I didn’t, either.”

 

The two girls sighed and examined the ground, discovering an odd light shining through the only floor vent in the room. They exchanged glances and shrugged, deciding to dismiss it as an electrical disaster.

 

Yaoyorozu began to rearrange the books on the bookshelf in hopes of making the visit to the library worthwhile. She prepared to give up when she ripped a random book off the bookshelf, causing multiple books to topple to the ground. She jumped backward and stared at the spot that the books had been, finding a mysterious, blue button. The bookcase shuttered and swung outward to reveal a door that lead to a hidden passageway.

 

Yaoyorozu hesitated. “Should we take a look?”

 

“Well, I don’t see the harm.” Kendo scratched the back of her head. “Maybe this is where the proof is.”

 

Yaoyorozu held the candle out in front of her and Kendo, thoroughly examining the secret room. The room was small and had a tiny, broken shelf in the back of the room, and they cautiously plodded toward it.

 

Kendo plucked a photograph of Bakugou, Kirishima, and Sero off the shelf, frowning at it. She turned it over and widened her eyes upon seeing a threatening letter that was written in red, dripping letters.

 

“‘I will take them and rip off their limbs like I’ve wanted to for five years,’” Yaoyorozu read, placing a hand to her mouth in shock. “This reminds me of something I saw in the cable car station.”

 

Kendo set the photograph down, immediately jerking her hand away. She turned to face Yaoyorozu with trembling hands and stuttered, “W-What did you see?”

 

“A poster of Himiko Toga.”

 

Kendo froze. “That escaped convict?”

 

“Indeed.” Yaoyorozu flipped the photograph over again, shining the candle’s light on it. “She was first mentioned in the newspapers five years ago. You don’t think…?”

 

Kendo held out her palm in front of Yaoyorozu’s face. “I would rather not think of that!”

 

“Okay, okay.” Yaoyorozu set the photograph down, flipping it over again. “It was only a theory. I’m sure this has nothing to really do with her.”

 

“We should find Kaminari and tell him about this,” Kendo suddenly suggested, stuffing the photograph into her pocket.

 

Yaoyorozu did not have the chance to agree when a scream erupted, followed by Kaminari’s desperate voice.

 

“Kaminari?” Kendo shouted in response and rushed toward the door, flinging it open.

 

The door slammed shut in Yaoyorozu’s face before she could follow, extinguishing the candle. She threw the useless candle to the ground and desperately pounded on the door, screaming, “Kendo? Kaminari?”

 

Kendo screeched for a few seconds before the atmosphere became quiet, devoid of all sound.

 

The door was nearly thrown off its hinges as Yaoyorozu’s foot connected with it. She practically hurled herself out the door and crashed to the ground, frantically searching for her friends in the darkened library. She stood and balanced herself, attempting to calm her breathing.

 

“Kendo? Kaminari?” she murmured, uncertainty laced in her voice. “Come on, please—”

 

Yaoyorozu noticed an unconscious Kendo, who was sprawled on the floor near the entrance of the library. She shrieked and hurried forward, but an unknown figure ripped her backward, smashing a flashlight into the back of her head before she could react. She slammed into the ground with a thump.

 

The unknown figure hoisted Kendo into their arms and exited the library.


	4. actions taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a warning ! there’s gore-y descriptions in this chapter !

Midoriya could not comprehend what he had witnessed.

 

He went through three stages.

 

He first shook his head frantically, screaming in terror as he backed away from the window. He put a hand to his chest and tried to calm his breathing, but he found that his attempts were futile. He began to rapidly speak into the air, and when he realized that Todoroki was not present to hear his rambling, he paused.

 

He then began to think of a solution to the problem, his mind racing. His entire body was pale and trembling, and he felt as if he would collapse to the ground. He stumbled backward again, crashing onto the blanket with a pained yell.

 

He finally stood and began to breathe more heavily than before. He ground his teeth together and searched for a weapon, his face reddening more and more with each step. His chest felt like it was on fire, more so when he discovered a rifle on a shelf in the next room.

 

He yanked the rifle off the wall and sprinted out the door.

 

He continued to follow the path until he caught a glimpse of a horrendous creature dragging Todoroki through the woods. He abandoned the path and followed, unsure if the monster had noticed him; he did not care either way.

 

He heard a splash, and he saw the flash of Todoroki’s dyed hair emerge from the river as the creature continued its journey. He hopped onto a rock that jutted out of the river, deciding that it was a better shortcut. He jumped to the next rock with some trouble, but he did not fall. He reached the riverbank without a drop of water on his body.

 

He continued to follow the creature, using its growls as a guide.

 

He eventually came across a cliff and hoisted himself upward, nearly missing the handhold that the rocks provided. He fumbled with the rifle for a moment before staring through the scope, catching sight of the monster after a few seconds. Todoroki was still in its grasp, unconscious but hopefully breathing.

 

Midoriya began to slide down the cliff like a a child using a waterslide.

 

It was not as fun as a waterslide, though.

 

He found that he could not slow down, and he panicked again, searching for something to slow his fall. He grabbed a tree branch from a tree that was growing near the cliff, and he crashed to the ground more gracefully than he would have without the tree branch.

 

He followed the monster’s path, hoping that the creature had not discovered him — he did not exactly understand how to use the rifle. He nearly stumbled multiple times, but he somehow balanced himself.

 

It was definitely because of an adrenaline rush that he managed to remain alive.

 

He found himself attempting to not fall off a ledge as he screeched to a halt. He saw the other side of the path just a jump away. He weighed his options, and almost immediately, hurled himself toward the other side.

 

It was a miracle that he did not crash to his death.

 

He also dreaded the fact that he was atop an overpass that overlooked the mines from earlier.

 

Unready to nearly crash to his death again by using his situation as a waterslide, he opted to fling himself down the nearest staircase. He reached the ground with a thump and hurried forward, peering into the darkness.

 

He heard a slap of something, or someone, hitting the ground. His breath hitched as he hastened toward the noise.

 

“Shouto!” he hollered, finding a barely alive Todoroki laying on an elevator shaft ahead. “Shouto, wake up—”

 

The elevator shaft dropped before Midoriya could clamber onto it.

 

He turned and aimed the rifle at the screech that followed. He instantly lowered it, however, upon understanding for the second time that he had no idea how to operate the gun. Glancing back at the spot where the elevator shaft had been, he decided to continue forward to find Todoroki’s attacker.

 

A frightened giggle erupted from someone ahead, and Midoriya scrambled to aim the rifle at the person, but he found that the gun was jammed when he finally gathered the courage to pull the trigger. He shoved the gun underneath his armpit and dashed after the presumed criminal, assuming that they had participated in the scheme.

 

They hopped through a metal door and slammed their hand onto a button, causing the door to slowly shift downward, much like a garage door. Midoriya huffed and slammed himself into the ground, sliding underneath the door before it could chop his head off.

 

The someone disappeared into the darkness, and Midoriya was unable to detect their escape route. He did, though, catch a floating piece of paper that the stranger had thrown into the air before hurrying away.

 

The paper had the words ‘sanatorium ahead’ written on it, and he gazed ahead, squinting to see into the night. He noticed an enormous building and widened his eyes.

 

Midoriya hoped that he would not find Todoroki’s deceased body in the sanatorium.

 

He hoped that he would not find Bakugou, Kirishima, or Sero’s body in the sanatorium.

 

Despite these worries, he stood and brushed snow off himself, trudging toward the sanatorium.

 

Yaoyorozu’s eyes flickered to life after multiple blinks, and she groaned, sitting up. She placed a hand to the back of her head, and when the her came away bloody, she remembered.

 

“Kendo?” she screamed, scrambling to her feet. “Kaminari?”

 

She ran her hands along the floor and wall in hopes of finding an object that would light her way, and when her hands brushed over a flashlight, she grabbed it. She flicked it on and noticed a red mark on the end of the flashlight, and she cringed, assuming that she had been rendered unconscious with it.

 

The first odd thing that she noticed was that she had awoken in the kitchen instead of the library. She shuddered and shined the flashlight around the area but found no sign of her friends.

 

She stumbled over an object on the floor and braced her hands against the ground, turning around to seize the culprit. She dropped the object in terror upon realizing that it was Kendo’s shoe, smears of blood slathered across the sole.

 

“K-Kendo?” she shouted, lethargically climbing to her feet.

 

She whirled around and pressed the closest door open, and a crow cawed and flew past her head, nearly crashing into her head. She shrieked and recoiled, her face paler than before.

 

“Unreal,” she muttered, doubting her eyesight.

 

She began to doubt her actions completely. She was afraid that she would not reach her friends in time, and she would find them deceased, ripped apart by whoever had kidnapped them. She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyes and groaned, examining the area with the flashlight afterward.

 

She discovered a bloodied handprint near the entrance to the lodge, and she froze, trembling. She exhaled and exited the lodge, not bothering to close the door behind her.

 

“Kendo? Kaminari?” she called, receiving no response.

 

She smacked the flashlight when it dangerously flickered, and she sighed in relief when the light continued to shine. She proceeded to wander off the porch and follow the footprints until hesitating at a fork in the path where the footprints disappeared.

 

She bit the bottom of her lip and opted to follow the left path.

 

A scarecrow slammed into her face, knocking her backward. She found her cheek covered in a sticky liquid, and when she saw a bloodied pig’s head roll off the scarecrow, she yelped and rushed toward the right path.

 

“Kendo!” she tearfully cried, wiping the liquid off her cheek using her sleeve. “Kaminari! Please—”

 

She shone her flashlight on the door to a shed and darted toward the building, ripping open the door.

 

An empty, dangling cage crashed to the ground as she entered, causing her screech in terror that was mixed with surprise. “Gah! This is impossible!”

 

“Yaomomo?” wailed a voice that Yaoyorozu immediately recognized.

 

Yaoyorozu thrusted the flashlight in front of her. “Kendo! Keep talking!”

 

Yaoyorozu could hear the faint sounds of a struggle as Kendo responded, “Hurry! Help us!”

 

“I will! I promise!” Yaoyorozu shook her head in denial. “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

“Um, I don’t really know,” Kendo muttered, barely loud enough for Yaoyorozu to hear. “All I remember is them tying me up—”

 

“Who’s ‘them?’”

 

A light flickered to life in the next room, and Yaoyorozu dropped the flashlight, whirling around. She peered into the room through a rather small window, pressing her hands against the glass upon seeing Kendo and an awakening Kaminari. They were chained against two separate platforms, and a rusty saw blade sat between them.

 

“Hello,” a deep voice boomed. “Thanks for joining us, Yaoyorozu, for this experiment.”

 

“Experiment?” Kendo screeched, struggling against the chains. She glanced at Kaminari as he blinked open his eyes. “Kaminari! Wake up!”

 

“Kendo?” Kaminari muttered, ripping at the chains, but to no avail. “W-What—”

 

“I don’t know!” sobbed Kendo, panicked.

 

“Settle down, this is simple,” the voice hummed calmly. “We have two test subjects here, Kendo and Kaminari. Yaoyorozu, you will pick who lives.”

 

Kendo’s eyes shot open. “There’s no way you can do that!”

 

“Yaoyorozu, use the lever in front of you to pick who lives. If you do not pick in time, both will die.”

 

The saw blade activated and began to creep toward Kendo and Kaminari.

 

“Yaomomo! Momo!” Kendo wailed, thrashing in her restraints. “You can’t kill us, you damn criminal! Momo, help, do something!”

 

Kaminari squeezed his eyes shut and cried, “Don’t let us die! Please!”

 

Yaoyorozu stared at the lever and shook her head frantically, nearly collapsing from hyperventilation. “N-No! You can’t make me choose!” she screamed, her eyes searching the ceiling for signs of a hidden door that would lead to the criminal; she never found one, though. “This is crazy—”

 

“Momo,” Kendo abruptly croaked, shutting her eyes with a pained, genuine smile. “Whoever you pick, I won’t hold a grudge. You always come to the best decisions.”

 

Tears began to drip down Yaoyorozu’s face.

 

Kaminari nodded in agreement with Kendo, opening his eyes to stare into Yaoyorozu’s through the glass, though the window was too tiny for her to notice. “I won’t hold anything against you. If you pick me, I’ll get to see my best friends again.”

 

“Kendo… Kaminari…,” whispered Yaoyorozu, seizing the lever with shaky hands. “I’m sorry.”

 

Yaoyorozu pulled the lever.

 

The saw blade shifted toward Kaminari.

 

Kaminari’s eyes widened, and his face went pale.

 

Kendo gasped and struggled against her restraints again, squealing in terror. “Wait!” she yelled at the ceiling, hoping that the criminal could hear. “Y-You can’t do this!”

 

Yaoyorozu banged on the window and accidentally smashed her hand against the brick wall as the saw blade crept closer toward Kaminari. She held her hand close to her chest and screeched, “Just take me instead!”

 

A high-pitched shriek of terror erupted from Kaminari’s throat as the saw blade careened into his body, slicing through his skin like butter. Blood splashed against the platform and floor, and Kendo cried louder when blood splattered against her skin. His screams subsided when the saw blade deactivated, and his severed lower body collapsed to the ground, spraying more blood about the area.

 

Kendo began to kick the platform with her unrestrained legs. “Get me out of here! Ah! Kaminari, no—”

 

Yaoyorozu stared at the sight in horror. She was frozen, and her body would not move no matter how much she willed it to do so. She finally backed away from the glass and rushed toward the door, banging on it with powerful fists. The door abruptly swung open, causing her to crash to the ground, but she swiftly balanced herself.

 

She found herself frozen again once she saw Kaminari’s body up close.

 

“Momo! Help me!” Kendo sobbed, and she ceased to struggle.

 

Yaoyorozu snapped back into reality and sprinted toward Kendo, unlocking her chains with the key that she had noticed next to the platforms a few seconds before.

 

If Yaoyorozu had pried the door open and grabbed the key earlier, she thought, she could have saved them both from trouble.

 

“I’m so sorry,” Yaoyorozu murmured, her voice cracking with each syllable. “I should’ve been able to save him. I should’ve gotten the door open—”

 

Kendo stepped down from the platform and launched herself, practically collapsed, into Yaoyorozu’s arms.

 

“I-It’s not your fault! Don’t say that!” Kendo snapped, covering her eyes with her hands. “You could’ve never gotten that door open! I think it opens from a computer, Momo! The door is metal! It’s not your fault—”

 

“The key was right there,” Yaoyorozu babbled. “I should’ve broken the window!”

 

“The window is too small!” Kendo tapped Yaoyorozu’s arm, and though it was gentle, the latter gasped. “Momo, listen to me. There was nothing you could’ve done.” She did not turn around as she guided Yaoyorozu out of the room, tears beginning to stream down her face. “I promise there’s nothing you could’ve done.”

 

“We should get the others,” Yaoyorozu suggested, squeezing Kendo’s hand as she stumbled out of the shed, falling to the snow-covered ground.

 

Kendo was pulled to the ground as Yaoyorozu fell. “You’re right. We can’t just leave them.”

 

Yaoyorozu sat up and regained her composure, taking a deep breath. “Let’s see. Jirou is in the lodge. Midoriya and Todoroki are at the cabin. Uraraka, Tsu, and—”

 

“Guys? What the hell?”

 

Yaoyorozu started, hoisting herself to her feet with an alarmed expression, her eyes scanning the area. She pulled Kendo to her feet and watched as Ashido, Asui, and Uraraka emerged from the darkness.

 

Ashido confusedly sprinted toward them. “Again, what the hell? Why are you two— Holy shit, is that blood?”

 

Asui calmly grabbed Kendo by the shoulders and examined the red spots that covered her skin and clothing. “That’s blood.”

 

“We saw a pig’s head on our way to get Mina’s bag, and we saw the same pig’s head when we came to look for you guys! What happened here?” chimed Uraraka, frowning.

 

Yaoyorozu covered her mouth with her hands and began to sob silently. Kendo’s gaze glided to the ground, unwilling to explain the situation through her cries.

 

Ashido delicately pulled away Yaoyorozu’s hand as if it would break. “Yaomomo. Tell us what happened.”

 

“Kaminari’s dead,” Yaoyorozu bluntly blurted.

 

Ashido paused. “Excuse me?”

 

“A criminal kidnapped us and made Yaomomo choose who to save,” Kendo added reluctantly.

 

Uraraka started to wail, backing away from the shed. “There’s no way—”

 

“We need to think,” Asui breathed, her voice shaky. She was clearly attempting to handle her emotions, and though it was difficult, she proceeded to place a hand on Uraraka’s shoulder.

 

Uraraka buried her face into her elbow. “There’s nothing to think about! Kaminari’s dead! We also might die!”

 

“No, we’re not going to die,” Asui answered, flicking away the tears that dripped down Uraraka’s face. “We need to get help.”

 

“Help?”

 

The four girls whirled to face Ashido.

 

Ashido had her hands on her head, pulling at individual locks of hair with narrowed eyes. She finally placed her arms at her side and clenched her fists. Her chest burned. She had no idea what she was hearing. Asui reached out to grab her hand, but she jerked away, finally facing the group.

 

“Help?” she repeated, her eyes watery. “Bakugou is gone. Kirishima is gone. Sero is gone. Now, Kaminari is gone. Who’s next? When will the world decide that enough is _enough_?”

 

“I—” Asui paused. “I don’t know, Mina.”

 

“I agree with Tsu,” sniffled Uraraka, joining Asui next to Ashido. “We should get help. That’s the only way we’ll get justice for this.”

 

Ashido remained silent, but she nodded.

 

Asui turned to face Kendo and Yaoyorozu. “Ochako, Mina, and I will get help. What are you two going to do?”

 

“We were planning to get the others,” explained Kendo. “Midoriya and Todoroki are at the cabin, but Jirou—” She paused and clamped a hand over her mouth. “She’s in the lodge! The criminal could get her!”

 

Uraraka gaped. “You two need to hurry! We’ll get help!”

 

Kendo and Yaoyorozu simultaneously nodded and bolted down the path with interlocked fingers, stumbling toward the lodge.

 

Asui faced Ashido with a sympathetic expression. “Are you alright? Are you ready to go to the cable car station?”

 

“Another one of my best friends is gone,” Ashido responded monotonously. “I’m not alright, but we need to get help, so let’s go.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Asui murmured.

 

Ashido hesitated. “I’m sorry, too.”

 

Uraraka grabbed their hands and yanked them down the path, frantic to get help. They continued to hurry and cringed at the pig’s head that had stained the snow with red, coming to a stop in front of the lodge that they had once trusted.

 

“Will they be okay?” questioned Uraraka, staring at the door.

 

Asui nodded reassuringly with a sigh. “Of course. We need to hurry, though, before they aren’t okay.”

 

Uraraka seized their hands again and continued down the path, occasionally slowing her pace to pause and ponder the events that had just occurred, but she never stopped walking. Asui attempted to calm them down by recalling a dumb story that she had overheard at a gas station.

 

Ashido was not calmed by the story.

 

Ashido had lost Kaminari, one of her best friends, and she had not been given a chance to say goodbye.

 

She had not been given a chance to say goodbye to Bakugou, Kirishima, or Sero.

 

“I just wanted a chance to say goodbye,” Ashido muttered aloud, falling behind once they arrived at the bridge.

 

Asui bit the bottom of her lip but did not turn around. “They all know that you care about them. They know that everyone cares about them.”

 

Uraraka twirled around and tugged Ashido into her arms, embracing her tightly. “We care about _you_ , Mina.”

 

Ashido hesitated but wrapped her arms around Uraraka’s frame as Asui planted a hand on their shoulders with a saddened grin.


End file.
